Freedom Fight: Beginnings Series Book 9 (33 page)

Eight Society soldiers stepped from the train into the station ahead of George. George hated the train ride because it was slow. They had to stop several times because the conductor got confused about everything except blowing the whistle. George looked irritated when he was approached by one of his leaders in Tennessee, Captain Anvers.

“Captain.”

“President Hadley.” Captain Anvers saluted and brought forward a man in his fifties wearing a blue workman’s outfit. “Sir, I would like you to meet Owen Wells. He is the man responsible for getting the underground phone lines up and running in this region.”

George shook his hand. “Owen, excellent job. I don’t understand why we aren’t traced up by the tracking system in Beginnings.”

“Simple, sir,” Owen explained. “We’re using the old underground lines. Nothing is bouncing off the satellite and the tracking picks up from the satellite. The old lines are safe from the tracking where cell phones and radios are not.”

“Just what I wanted to hear.” George began to walk with Captain Anvers and Owen. “Tell me, did Captain Anvers here speak to you about running the lines through other cities.”

“I’m still working on that, but I don’t see why we can’t get the lines up in running at least in the cities The Society operates. I would need the man power then I would have to train them and reprogram the phone lines. It could be months or longer.”

“I understand. I’m in town for a day. After I’ve rested I expect to see you with a full break down and report.”

“Yes sir.”

George let Captain Anvers lead the way to the awaiting Jeep that would take him to the main set up. George needed his communications back, communication that could not be detected by Beginnings. The only problem George had was that his means of communication overseas would be detected. With his overseas expedition scheduled to start soon, it looked as though he was going to have to go into that blindly and have little communication with the outgoing ship. He felt going blindly was better than not going at all.

^^^^

Henry raced into the tracking room in from the rain. He shook the water from him as he set down his tool bag. He looked at Mark who monitored the SUT tracking system. “What’s up, Mark? I’m supposed to be babysitting.”

“We lost the front gate tracking.”

“We what?” Henry flung the rain off of him and moved closer to the dead screen. “How long ago?”

“Just when I called you,” Mark said. “Ten minutes maybe.”

“Could be the rain. That wind is pretty bad out there. All right, let me check in here to make sure it’s not the power or anything internal. We drain a lot of power here and the storm may have an effect on it. Do me a favor and call Danny.” Henry opened his tool bag. “This is more his baby than mine. I could waste a lot of time.”

“Danny’s working on the houses.”

Henry pulled out the table the monitors set on. “I think this is a little more important.”

“I’ll call Danny.” Mark picked up the phone.

^^^^

Bright and chipper, Andrea walked into Dean’s lab. She held the small note Dean had left her and knocked once on the archway. “Morning, Dean. You wanted to see me?”

Dean turned from his work. “Yeah, close the door.”

“Must be important.” Andrea reached back and closed the door. “What’s going on?”

“I need to know where you get off.” Dean walked to her.

“Excuse me.” Andrea blinked. She was taken aback by his hostile tone.

“Where do you get off? Ellen is my patient, not yours.”

“What did…?
”

“You have no right what-so-ever to release her from the clinic without my knowledge.” Dean’s hand slammed on the counter.

“First off!” Andrea raised her voice, “do not dare take that tone with me!”

“Don’t you dare take control of my patients.”

“It was Ellen!”

“Yes it was!” Dean shouted back, “and you just assumed it was fine for her to not return.”

“I checked on her all night.” Andrea spoke loudly and defensively. “She was in capable hands. She wasn’t alone. She was with . . .” Andrea cleared her throat. “I see.”

“You see what?”

“This has nothing to do with the fact I gave the O.K. for her not to return, does it?”

“Yes it does.”

“Oh horse shit.” Andrea moved to the door and opened it. “When you calm your little ass down, we will talk. If you want to discuss this on a professional level, we will, but I will not be victim to your petty jealousy because she stayed with Robbie Slagel.” Andrea pointed with her bobbing head. “That is where your anger lies and why you are blasting my judgment. Get over it Dean. Get over it now or you’ll be in for a miserable time ahead.” Andrea stormed out.

As the door slammed loudly so did Dean’s hand again on the counter, this time sending a rack of tubes crashing over and breaking. “Shit.” Reaching for them, Dean stopped and ran his hand down his face, desperately trying to get his anger back in control.

^^^^

The rain had stopped. Robbie laughed as he spoke into his headset, walking the pathway back to his Jeep. “No way. The chief can not be involved in the Neville nominations. He’s too old.”

“Right.” Steve the tower guard came back sarcastically. “How old do you think Charlton Heston was?”

“Not that old.” Robbie laughed, “Besides, I’m Neville.”

Steve’s joking tone changed. “Whoa . . . hold up. Which way you headed?”

“Why?” Robbie asked. “To my Jeep.”

“There’s someone at the back gate.”

“One of Mathias’ men? Cause with tracking down we can’t be...”

“No,” Steve said. “This is one, no, two men and one just dropped the other off at the front gate.”

“I’m there.” Robbie took off running to his Jeep. He jumped in, lowered the microphone to his headset, and screeched the Jeep to the way of the front gate. “Frank.”

^^^^

Danny huffed and shook his head when he heard Henry laughing through the headset radio. “It’s not funny.” Danny clenched his hands as he climbed a rope up a tree. “Why aren’t you doing this? It’s internal.”

“External.”

“Internal.”

“Danny, you secured it badly. Admit it.”

“Never. I can’t believe a storm knocked this down. Hell, I secured this thing so tight fuckin’ God himself couldn’t knock it off.”

It wasn’t the intrusion voice they expected. Reverend Bob interrupted. “Must we speak the Lord’s name like that.”

Henry laughed. “Listen to you eavesdropping. That is so wrong.”

“I eavesdrop so I know who to pray for.”

Danny grunted as he climbed. “No offense Reverend, but that doesn’t work for me. Henry, almost there.”

“Down the front gate!” Robbie could see the man, wrapped in a blanket on his side. His dark hair protruding through it. “Shit, please.” Robbie beckoned in his mind as he raced over to the body and dropped to this knees. He turned him over in complete disappointed. It wasn’t Frank. Placing his revolver in his shoulder harness, Robbie saw the note attached to the man. It was addressed to the doctors in Beginnings. “O.K., let’s get you in.” Robbie reached down to the man and pulled him to the front gate.

Finally Danny made it to the top of the tree, lifting himself to the high branch where the tracker was. “Oh shit. Henry.”

“Yeah.”

“It wasn’t any storm that did this.”

“What was it?”

Danny looked at the spear that stuck from the tracker. “It was a spear.” He heard the ruffling of grass below him. “Oh shit, not again.”

“What. What’s wrong?” Henry came back.

“Gets security out here now! We have savages.” Danny’s eyes shifted and he saw Robbie by the front gate. “Damn it, Henry, get help!” Grabbing the spear and tugging it with all he had, Danny tucked it under his arms, grateful he was wearing gloves, and then slid most of the rope length down the tree.

Robbie stood quickly to his feet and dropped the man a few feet from the gate when he heard the single war cry chants. “Shit.” He grabbed his gun and moved up his microphone. “Get me a team out front, but put up that perimeter now until they get here. We have savages. Sounds like a lot.”

Steve was on the other line. “Already spotted them. They’re on their way.”

“Fuck,” Robbie said disgusted and knew he didn’t have time to get the man out of the way. He held up his revolver and tried to zoom in on the direction, but they seemed to come from all directions. Robbie prepared to fire. Louder and louder they grew. Suddenly, from the trees, they emerged like wild animals. There were more than Robbie could count and they came almost as quickly as he could shoot. He was taking them down but they plowed to him. He was only one man with one gun then Robbie felt the sear of an arrow into his leg. “Fuck!” he shouted out as he felt a savage leap to his back. He flung him over his shoulder, snapped his neck, dropped him, and swung out his gun in a punch to one that dove at him. As he swung at another, Robbie saw Danny run from the trees.

Danny made as much noise as the savages trying to divert attention from the ones who went after Robbie and it worked. Danny held the spear in both hands as the savages flew towards him. Danny spun the spear in a martial arts style, using the ends of the stick in alternation to nail each savage that came his way. He danced on his feet in a fighter’s stance, giving the savages his best shot.

There were twenty or thirty, far out-numbering the Beginnings team.

With the arrow still in his leg, Robbie felt an arm grip his neck and he was pulled backwards by more than one savage. Just when he used his every strength to pull off one, his head lifted and he saw another racing towards him with a spear aimed directly at him. He was coming fast and Robbie fought to free himself. Twenty feet, fifteen, ten, . . . and then out of nowhere came the ‘nay’ of a horse, a swing of a sword, and the attacking savage’s head flew from his body and rolled to the ground. Blood shot up like a fountain from the savage that had yet to fall. The rider on the horse barreled by the savage he had just decapitate and sent the body spinning.

The savages were just as surprised as Robbie and in their surprise, Robbie took his advantage. Breaking free, Robbie began to fight, using his fist because they came so many, so quickly. He could see Danny battling. He also saw the rider on the horse remove an arrow from the horse's backside and not miss a beat. He swooped down his sword at the savages and as he did, he kicked the ones that came after him, even helping Robbie once in his pass. In his fight with three men, Robbie watched the long silver blade quickly shoot forward into the chest of one of the savages he fought. The sword retracted and the rider moved on.

Through the small war the waged outside the front gate that Robbie, Danny and now the anonymous rider tried to protect, came steady gun fire as a team of ten Beginnings men burst through the front gate and began to pick off the targets. Precisely and quickly, just as they had been taught.

Hearing the shots, Robbie backed up. He raced to Danny and pulled him to the line of Beginnings men. Holding Danny there, Robbie aimed as well. “Don’t hit the man on the horse!”

When the savages dropped and silence entailed, Robbie saw the rider trot off in the other direction. He ran off after him. “Wait!” Robbie called out. “Wait!” The rider picked up speed and kept on going. “Shit!” Robbie tossed his hand out. “Who was that?”

Danny couldn’t miss his opportunity. He snickered. “The Lone Ranger!” He saw Robbie look at him with hostile eyes. “Zorro?” Still no Robbie response. “The cavalry?”

“Ha-ha-ha.” Robbie shook his head an
d turned to his men. “Nice work. Thank you.” Robbie returned to Danny. “Where did you learn to do that shit?”

“Bruce Lee taught my father and my father taught me.”

“You’re kidding?” Robbie asked, impressed.

“Yeah I am. I had you going though. Hey did you know you have a broken arrow sticking out of your leg?”

Robbie broke it at the head. He tried to not laugh at Danny and that took a lot. He moved toward the front gate.

“You shouldn’t have done that Robbie.”

“Why?”

“You lost the Neville look.”

“Shit.” Robbie looked down at his bleeding leg. He spoke in the radio. “I got hit with a uh . . . uh small spear. Give me a Neville point.”

^^^^

Dean, calmer, waited for Andrea’s approval for him to enter her office. Slowly and humbly, he walked in.

“Yes.” She looked up from the files she read.

“I’m sorry.” Dean told her as Andrea just watched him. “I was wrong and you were right. You were perfectly capable of making the decision about Ellen and I shouldn’t have done that to you. You were also right about the Robbie thing. That is what has me angry. I can’t help it. It just hurts. It doesn’t matter what I do, I’m never going to be the person Ellen needs.” Dean stepped back to the door. “But I’ll get over it again. I just got wrapped up too much in what we had before Brian died.” Shaking his head, Dean opened the door.

“Dean,” Andrea called to stop him. “I do understand and apology accepted. If you need to talk about . . .” Andrea’s phone rang, interrupted her. “Hold on.” She picked up the cell phone. “Dr. Winters.” Her face filled with worry. “Yes, Joe, we’ll get ready.” She hung up and stood up. “Let’s go Doctor.”

“What’s wrong.”

“We have incoming.”

“Wh . . .” Before Dean could say anything Andrea had flew from her office.

^^^^